Our house in Colorado - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

**Gus Dering** · 07-07-2009, 07:43 PM

I scanned some old photos of our place in CO. This is in the southwest corner of the state 20 miles east of Durango at almost 8000 feet. It's not mine anymore as we sold it when we moved here. But some fun photos just the same.

I framed and sided this place with the trees on the property. Local "blackjack" pine. I think I used about 40 -50 trees.

I knocked down the tress, skidded them to where I could load them on trailers behind pick ups and took them to the mill. Helped mill them into boards and hauled them back up the hill. Sticker stacked the sidingin the basement and the framing mat in the drive.

That may sound romantic but I'm here to say it's a ton of work. The next house I built was with store bought material and the joy that came over me when a framing load just rolled off the back of a truck after a short phone call was as good as an orgasm.

I had tons of help from friends and family. Just about wore out the wife. She was a trooper. One tid bit of info, built this house with no phone. Closest phone was about 8 miles away. Try that.

I hope you enjoy the photos. I'll try to scan more if there is any interest.

The little guy is my name sake. Not so little anymore, he looks down on dad now.

Framing with rough cut is a chore but the view was good.

Started late in August but got it dried in before the snow flew.

Roofing the 12 pitch was a trick

When I say the wife was a trooper I may have understated it. We had to move in when I was just hanging drywall. We had to put our bedding in trash bags every morning and sweep a clean perimeter for it at night. Three boys had to do the same thing.

I had more energy 15 years ago.

Resta · 07-07-2009, 08:11 PM

Gus, I like and will look more with a pleasure. Thanks for sharing.

neolitic · 07-07-2009, 08:38 PM

More pix!

Wife wasn't a trooper,
she's a frigging saint.
It's evident she didn't
slit your throat while you slept.

SLSTech · 07-07-2009, 08:43 PM

I agree whe was a saint - nice work as always & man that looks like a beutiful area

No phone - no problem, no internet - oh boy

More pics

**genecarp** · 07-07-2009, 08:47 PM

Gus, that was an amazing project, i am sure parts of it where grueling, but what a great accomplishment

. G MORE PHOTOS PLEASE

strathd · 07-07-2009, 08:49 PM

Cool..... You are a wealthy man. (wealth does'nt allways mean money).

Tinstaafl · 07-07-2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gus Dering

I had more energy 15 years ago.

Man, a very high five on that! But bottom line, you didn't squander it on ephemeral feel-good stuff. You can sit in your rocking chair now and look back with pride.

Seriously, good stuff. You need to get those photos into digital form anyway.

We're waiting.

**Gus Dering** · 07-07-2009, 10:01 PM

I'll scan some more soon. Stay tuned

Thanks for all the kind words.

Funny how all the memories comes flowing back when you go through the big box of pictures.

nEighter · 07-07-2009, 10:06 PM

bada ass!!!!!!

**Gus Dering** · 07-08-2009, 06:35 PM

I wish I had a full photo of the conveyor truck, but this is all I have. I wanted to share it with you guys because they seem to be pretty scarce around the rest of the country.
This is fixed to the end of a standard premix truck and unfolds to about 40' from the end off the truck. It can't bend in the middle while the mud is coming but it swings side to side. the driver has to pull forward or back up just like a regular chute.
But 40' of reach sure was handy without renting a pump.

This was our shower till the cold weather shut it down.
I had 200 gallons of water in a tank that I winched of the truck. A 12 volt pump, the 40 gal gas heater that went into the house. 500 gal propane tank to push the 5 kw gen set and the water heater.

The first time we had hot water running was one of the best days in the whole project.

Don't tell our middle boy I posted this picture. He can kick my ass now. Although I would not admit that to him.

Just to the right of that shower set up was home sweet home. Our little love nest in the woods. Life was good.

That is until the weather turned and sent us running inside the house while I was hanging drywall. Life got a little stressy for a while.

I'll dig through the box of pictures and post some more soon.

Darwin · 07-08-2009, 06:42 PM

I love it! Really glad you shared the pictures with us. I enjoy that kind of rustic construction in the mist of nature. Great job. I know you're glad you have those pics. Reminds me of National Geographic mags I read growing up.

Tinstaafl · 07-08-2009, 07:23 PM

Oh man, Gus. What a treasure trove of memories.

And I bet you're the only one who gets misty-eyed over them.

**genecarp** · 07-08-2009, 07:53 PM

**Gus Dering** · 07-08-2009, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinstaafl

Oh man, Gus. What a treasure trove of memories.

And I bet you're the only one who gets misty-eyed over them.

There is no crying in construction.

Maybe a few exceptions.

knucklehead · 07-08-2009, 09:31 PM

Come back, simple life

HanerEnterprise · 07-08-2009, 09:52 PM

As I sit in my Los friken Angeles motel room surrounded by cell phone, MP3 recorder, microwave, tv, coffee maker, and laptop looking at these great pictures. Man I want to go home to my mountains!

Very nice and thank you!!

Darwin · 07-09-2009, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HanerEnterprise

As I sit in my Los friken Angeles motel room surrounded by cell phone, MP3 recorder, microwave, tv, coffee maker, and laptop looking at these great pictures. Man I want to go home to my mountains!

Very nice and thank you!!

The ole wifey threw you out, huh?

Magnettica · 07-10-2009, 09:35 PM

That looks a damn good house. Looks like it was a lot of fun no that u can look back at it. I'm sure it wasn't always fun while you were building, though you can laugh about it now.

Thanks for sharing the pics.

PA woodbutcher · 07-11-2009, 06:08 AM

Thanks for sharing the memories Gus. Brought back many of my own. I was probably about little Gus's age when my father built the house that I "grew" up in. We had a little help pouring the pad and setting the trusses, but other than that I was mostl him and....well mostly him

jomama · 07-12-2009, 04:01 PM

Gus, I think this is what you're talking about. A picture from a "bell tower" project from last fall. This one reaches about 50' or so & extends/retracts about 15', so it's probably a little more versatile. Dedicated conveyor trucks have been replacing pump trucks around here for a decade or so, but this is the only delivery/conveyor truck i've seen around here.